Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American actress and singer, best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place. Her career has expanded into the music industry; Gomez is the lead singer and founder of the pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene, which has released two RIAA Gold certified studio albums, Kiss & Tell and A Year Without Rain.